Arnold Schwarzenegger’s good deed

You find the footprints of former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in the strangest places. I was reading Charlie LeDuff’s amazing book “Detroit, an American Autopsy” — which I highly recommend — when I came across a nice story about The Governator.

But first, here’s Charlie LeDuff golfing his way through the Motor City in the Tour de Detroit self-invitational.

LeDuff begins the book explaining his odyssey from the New York Times to the Detroit News. He quit The Gray Lady, and was living as a stay-at-home dad in Los Angeles when he wrote about his situation for a glamour rag, which he described as: “Big Shot Quits the Big Time, Sits Home with a Baby and Feels Sorry for Himself.” In it, LeDuff lamented that big shots don’t call him any more.

LeDuff confessed that none of his colleagues called after the piece came out. But Arnold Schwarzenegger did send a kind letter. That said:

“I know that you got all kinds of advice from friends, from Oprah-like wisdom to complete ignorance, so I don’t have anything to add to that. Just know that what you’re doing will be more fulfilling than any of your wild adventures — in fact, it might be your wildest yet — and any father would die to have the life you have.”

And:

“If you ever start to feel unimportant, you’re wrong. But you can always relive the glory days, tell people about your buddy who can lift you up with a finger and runs the biggest state in the world, or give me a call. I’d love to hear about your new assignment.”

Over the years, I’ve had a lot to say about Schwarzenegger. The release of his memoir, hyped in a “60 Minutes” interview that went sour, inspired this column, “Arnold Schwarzenegger, up close and mean.” But there also is a generous side to The Austrian Oak. As LeDuff wrote, while Schwarzenegger was governor of the largest state in the most powerful nation, he took the time to write and say: You’ll be back.